Rodent dispersal of fungal spores promotes seedling establishment away from mycorrhizal networks on Quercus garryana

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 821-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Frank ◽  
S. Anglin ◽  
E. M. Carrington ◽  
D. S. Taylor ◽  
B. Viratos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Fecal Pellets ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Mycorrhizal Networks

With global warming and the possible decline of conifers, more habitat may be available to oaks, particularly at higher elevations and more northerly latitudes. Whether oaks expand into new habitats will depend on their ability to disperse and establish at the margins of existing woodlands. Because oaks have a symbiotic relationship with ectomycorrhizal fungi, range expansion requires dispersal of both symbionts: the acorns and the mycorrhizal inoculum. Little is known of this dual dispersal. Here we assess the availability of ectomycorrhizal inoculum as a function of the distance from mature oaks. We examined soil cores for ectomycorrhizal roots and rodent fecal pellets for fungal spores along transects away from mature trees of Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook., and planted acorns as bioprobes. We identified spores by microscopy, and mycorrhizas by DNA sequences of the ITS region. Mycorrhizas were present in soil cores 5 m from parent trees, but not beyond. Spores of hypogeous fungi were found in rodent fecal pellets at distances up to 35 m from mature trees. Hypogeous fungi formed ectomycorrhizas with first-year seedlings within the root zone of mature trees and with second-year seedlings beyond the root zone. These data indicate that for seedlings near mature trees, the source of fungal inoculum was the mycorrhizal network of mature trees, and for seedlings beyond that, rodents dispersed the inoculum. We conclude that rodent dispersal of fungal spores promotes seedling establishment away from mycorrhizal networks in Q. garryana.

Diversity of ectomycorrhizas associated with Quercus garryana in southern Oregon

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
L L Valentine ◽  
T L Fiedler ◽  
A N Hart ◽  
C A Petersen ◽  
H K Berninghausen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fragment Length Polymorphism ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Cenococcum Geophilum ◽  
Ectomycorrhizal Community ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Dna Restriction Fragments ◽  
Dna Restriction ◽  
Tuber Species

We investigated diversity of ectomycorrhizas associated with Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook. (Oregon white oak, or Garry oak) at Whetstone Savanna Preserve in southern Oregon. Based on morphotyping and DNA restriction fragments, we described 39 ectomycorrhizas. The most common five morphotypes were found in 5% or more of 160 soil cores. Cenococcum geophilum, the most abundant morphotype, occurred in 75% of soil cores. Another common morphotype yielded a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern similar to that of Tuber species. Uncommon morphotypes were responsible for the majority of ectomycorrhizal diversity on Q. garryana. Morphotype diversity of seedlings was more similar to that of their parent tree than to seedlings under other trees. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) – RFLP patterns of ectomycorrhizas found beneath sporocarps did not match those of the sporocarps fruiting above ground. An understanding of the diversity of the ectomycorrhizal community on Q. garryana will enable us to compare ectomycorrhizas on other oak species and habitats; determine seasonality of ectomycorrhizal growth; evaluate treatments such as fire, grazing, invasion by exotic plants, and other anthropogenic disturbances; and aid restoration protocols.Key words: biocomplexity, biodiversity, ectomycorrhizas, hypogeous fungi, morphotypes, Peziza infossa, Tuber.

Small mammal mycophagy in hemiboreal forest communities of Lithuania

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kataržytė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.

scholarly journals Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)-Degrading Bacteria Associated with Trees in a PCB-Contaminated Site

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 2331-2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Beth Leigh ◽  
Petra Prouzová ◽  
Martina Macková ◽  
Tomáš Macek ◽  
David P. Nagle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Pinus Nigra ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Salix Caprea ◽  
Root Zones ◽  
Degrading Bacteria

ABSTRACT The abundance, identities, and degradation abilities of indigenous polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading bacteria associated with five species of mature trees growing naturally in a contaminated site were investigated to identify plants that enhance the microbial PCB degradation potential in soil. Culturable PCB degraders were associated with every plant species examined in both the rhizosphere and root zone, which was defined as the bulk soil in which the plant was rooted. Significantly higher numbers of PCB degraders (2.7- to 56.7-fold-higher means) were detected in the root zones of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) and goat willow (Salix caprea) than in the root zones of other plants or non-root-containing soil in certain seasons and at certain soil depths. The majority of culturable PCB degraders throughout the site and the majority of culturable PCB degraders associated with plants were identified as members of the genus Rhodococcus by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Other taxa of PCB-degrading bacteria included members of the genera Luteibacter and Williamsia, which have not previously been shown to include PCB degraders. PCB degradation assays revealed that some isolates from the site have broad congener specificities; these isolates included one Rhodococcus strain that exhibited degradation abilities similar to those of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400. Isolates with broad congener specificity were widespread at the site, including in the biostimulated root zone of willow. The apparent association of certain plant species with increased abundance of indigenous PCB degraders, including organisms with outstanding degradation abilities, throughout the root zone supports the notion that biostimulation through rhizoremediation is a promising strategy for enhancing PCB degradation in situ.

Mycorrhizal networks and distance from mature trees alter patterns of competition and facilitation in dry Douglas-fir forests

Oecologia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 158 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
François P. Teste ◽  
Suzanne W. Simard
Keyword(s):  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Mycorrhizal Networks

Preventing Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) Seedling Establishment in the Northern Prairie Pothole Region

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle K. Ohrtman ◽  
Sharon A. Clay ◽  
David E. Clay ◽  
Eric M. Mousel ◽  
Alexander J. Smart
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Prairie Pothole

AbstractControlled burns and grazing are being tested to manage invasive grasses in the Prairie Pothole region of the Northern Great Plains. These practices, however, may inadvertently promote saltcedar infestations from seed by opening the vegetative canopy. Saltcedar seedling establishment was investigated in greenhouse experiments using intact soil cores from one summit and three footslope sites in eastern South Dakota. Establishment tests were conducted in soil cores collected from treatment and control plots immediately after spring fire treatment (postburn) and in cores that contained peak cool- or peak warm-season vegetation, with or without clipping (simulated grazing treatment), to simulate vegetation conditions typical of saltcedar seed-shed in northern regions. Cores were seeded with 100 saltcedar seeds and subirrigated to maintain high soil water conditions, characteristic of the environment near potholes during late spring/early summer. Seedlings were counted during the first 3 wk to estimate establishment and the height of five seedlings core−1 were measured weekly to estimate growth rates. Opening the canopy with fire or clipping increased saltcedar establishment. Cores taken immediately after fire treatment had two times more seedlings establish (38% vs. 19%) and greater average seedling growth rate (1.5 mm d−1 vs. 0.9 mm d−1) when compared with no-fire controls. Fire after seeding reduced seedling establishment to 5%, but did not affect growth rate. Saltcedar establishment in peak cool-season vegetation cores was 6% regardless of earlier fire treatment, whereas in peak warm-season vegetation, establishment ranged from 8% (no spring fire) to 17% (spring fire). If soils remain wet, invasion risk following spring fire may be greatest when warm-season grasses are flowering because this time coincides with northern saltcedar seed production. Areas adjacent to viable saltcedar seed sources should be managed to maximize canopy cover when seeds are released to limit further establishment. Fire after saltcedar seed deposition may control propagules and young seedlings.

The serpentine syndrome below ground: ectomycorrhizas and hypogeous fungi associated with conifers

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1671-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Gladish ◽  
Jonathan Frank ◽  
Darlene Southworth
Keyword(s):  
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Serpentine Soils ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Soil Composition ◽  
Spore Dispersal ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Overlapping Communities ◽  
Sparse Vegetation ◽  
Below Ground

Serpentine soils select for unique plant communities, often with sparse vegetation. Mycorrhizal fungi mediate the interaction between plants and soils, yet little is known about the mycorrhizal fungi of serpentine-tolerant plants. Ectomycorrhizas and hypogeous fungal sporocarps were sampled on paired serpentine and nonserpentine soils in southwestern Oregon. We hypothesized that conifers on serpentine soils would have fewer species of mycorrhizal fungi, a distinct assemblage of ectomycorrhizal fungi, and fewer hypogeous sporocarps with less species richness. Sporocarps were sampled and soil cores collected around pines on serpentine and nonserpentine soils. Conifers on serpentine and nonserpentine soils hosted overlapping communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi, as characterized by nonmetric multidimensional scaling. From soil cores, we categorized 27 species by morphotype, of which 18 were identified by DNA. Fewer hypogeous sporocarps with less taxonomic richness were collected on serpentine soils. The lack of indicator species of mycorrhizal fungi and the greater variability among samples on serpentine soils suggest that soil composition does not determine the mycorrhizal community. The sparseness of host vegetation may limit the ability of fungi to grow from tree to tree and may increase the reliance on spore dispersal, thus creating a more varied pattern of mycorrhizal communities.

Hypogeous fungal production in mature Douglas-fir forest fragments and surrounding plantations and its relation to coarse woody debris and animal mycophagy

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2157-2165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Amaranthus ◽  
James M. Trappe ◽  
Larry Bednar ◽  
David Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Forest Practices

Production of hypogeous fungi (truffles) in high-elevation, 180-year-old mature forest fragments of Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco was compared with surrounding regenerated clearcuts ranging from 4 to 27 years since harvest at two study areas. Thirty pairs of plots, one of each pair in soil, the other in brown-cubical-rotted coarse woody debris (CWD), were searched for truffles in each stand during four periods; August and November 1990, and February and May 1991. Overall analysis of presence/absence of truffles using log-linear models revealed that CWD and mature forest status of stands each significantly influence truffle occurrence. Mature forest fragments had greater percent frequency of occurrence and truffle number and dry weight than did plantations. Truffle numbers and dry weight were 30 and 20 times greater, respectively, in mature forests than in plantations. The plantations did not differ significantly among each other for any parameter. CWD yielded higher numbers and biomass of truffles than soil in the mature forest, but production in plantations did not differ between substrates. The total dry weight of truffles in CWD exceeded that in soil by more than 10 times in mature forests. Of 21 truffle species found, 13 were only in the mature forest and 8 only under coarse woody debris. Forest practices that emphasize the retention of mature trees and coarse woody debris promote the abundance and diversity of truffles, which are integral and functionally important members of forest ecosystems.

scholarly journals Heliocarpus donnellsmithii (majagua).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Forest Gaps ◽  
Pioneer Tree ◽  
On This Island ◽  
Sunlight Intensity

Abstract Heliocarpus donnellsmithii is a pioneer tree that can be found growing in forest edges, forest gaps, secondary forests, disturbed sites, abandoned crop and pasturelands. Mature trees can produce large amounts of seeds that are easily dispersed by wind. It is a disturbance-dependent species and its germination and seedling establishment rates are high (>60%) in open areas with high sunlight intensity. Outside its native distribution range, this species only occurs in Martinique. On this island, H. donnellsmithii is listed as a "successional activator" tree with the potential to modify the natural successional patterns.

scholarly journals Hypogeous Fungi Occurance, Distribution and Mycorrhizal Hosts in Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 107-108
Author(s):  
Steven Miller
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
National Park ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
Disturbed Areas ◽  
Management Recommendations

The research underway has two primary objectives. The first objective is to collect and identify the species of hypogeous fungi associated with ectomycorrhizal vascular plant hosts occurring in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway (GTNP) over a 3 year period. Upon completion of the inventory, distribution, host specificity, substrate preference, phenology of fruiting, and relative abundance and importance of each species will be determined. The second objective is to document small mammal activity associated with sporocarps of the hypogeous fungi. The role that small mammals play in dispersal of hypogeous fungal spores into disturbed areas, and the relative dependance of the animals on different species of hypogeous fungi will be estimated. Upon collection of hypogeous fungi, hypotheses relating to their niche importance in natural, relatively undisturbed ecosystems in GTNP will be developed and tested, with emphasis on future research and management recommendations.

scholarly journals The role of wild boars in spore dispersal of hypogeous fungi

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Piattoni ◽  
Francesca Oir ◽  
Marco Morara ◽  
Mirco Iotti ◽  
Alessandra Zambonelli
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Spore Dispersal ◽  
Tuber Aestivum ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
Seasonal Migrations

Wild boars (<em>Sus scrofa</em> L.) are well-known for soil disturbance in natural and cultivated truffières but their role in spore dispersal is poorly investigated. In the present work we studied the occurrence of hypogeous fungal spores in faecal contents of 14 wild boars randomly hunted in “Parco dei Gessi e Calanchi dell’Abbadessa” Regional Park (North of Italy) where truffle production has been previously investigated for three years. Six methods for spore analysis in faeces were compared and the suspension of faeces in ZnSO<sub>4</sub> (70%) solution resulted to be the most reliable. Hypogeous fungal spores, including <em>Tuber magnatum</em> and <em>Tuber aestivum</em> spores, were detected in 9 animals. This result suggests that the detection of fungal spores in faeces of wild boars may provide information on the presence of hypogeous fungi in an area. However, the poor abundance of spores suggests that the wild boar can be considered an opportunistic mycophagist, ingesting truffles only occasionally, as a seasonal source of food. Considering the magnitude of wild boar movements during seasonal migrations, it is possible to speculate that they play a key role in truffle long distance dispersal.

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